Legend of Zelda: Part 1 Advent of Courage
by EclipticKnightV
Summary: Evil is brewing in Hyrule. A Village, slaughtered. A young boy, alone. An evil ready to shake the land's foundations and destroy everything. A demonic rage encompasses the land. Nothing will be the same again.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1-Nightmares**

My eyes shot open, and I was instantly met with a blinding light. I shielded my sight with my arm, but only a second passed before my vision began to adjusted. From what I could see, I was in a large, pure white room. I didn't see any lamps or other lights, so I already felt uncomfortable. I was sitting on a white stool. What struck me instantly was that I had no memory of coming here.

I looked around the room until my vision laid on a tall mirror. I slowly stood up. My entire body felt like it was made of lead. I slowly walked over to the mirror, feeling a pain in me grow as I grew nearer. I stopped when I was about a foot from the mirror. The reflection I saw was of a boy, no more than twelve, wearing completely white clothing, making his body near invisible in the room. He had short, messy blonde hair and dark blue eyes. Hidden under his hair were two, pointed ears. This boy was me.

As I stared at the mirror, I suddenly saw a shadowy figure behind me, in the mirrors reflection. I stood still. The figure was like a black mist, and had what I thought were gaseous skulls floating in it. I quickly turned around, but saw nothing. I heard a cracking noise. I turned to see the mirror, shattering, and the shadowy figure completely obscuring my reflection.

Fear started to consume me as I backed away. The mirror cracked again, and the black mist started to seep from the small fissures. I must've tripped over my own feet, cause within seconds, I was on the ground. From the peripherals of my eyes, I saw a door to my far right. Struggling to get up, I bolted for the door. The moment I placed my hand on the doorknob, the entire mirror shattered, and the mist came flowing out like a massive river. I flung the door open and ran out it.

At that moment, I found myself in a dark corridor, completely contrasting itself to the previous room. The corridor was made of stone, and moss hung on the walls, and water dripped from the ceiling. Large, wooden doors were along the corridors walls. I heard an echoing behind me, and saw the mist following me. I quickly threw myself onto one of the doors and tried to open it. It didn't budge.

The mist grew nearer, and suddenly, I began to here it call my name. Fear welled up in my chest as I continued to race down the corridor. I continued to throw myself against every door, but none of them would open. My feet began to hurt as I ran. Suddenly, I tripped on a vine. I fell forward and landed hard on my face. I lifted myself up to see the white outfit completely torn and dirty. My hands were scratched, and my knees had been skinned.

I slowly looked behind me to see nothing following me. I lay there several moments, panting and bleeding, before slowly standing up. I turned back to the direction I was facing to see a large wooden door. It was different from the others somehow. I swallowed and held out my shaking hand, grabbing the knob, and turning it. I stop when I heard screaming behind the door. I heard fire raging, and metal clashing. I slowly opened the door and was met with warm air.

My eyes widened as I saw the scene before me. It was my village, engulfed in flames. The villagers, slaughtered, and on a ledge, lay the one man whom was the only father I know, dead on the ground. Standing above him was a tall, tanned man with burning red hair and wearing black armor. He slowly turned to me, and I saw in his eyes, not the stare of a man, but of a monster.

The echoing noise from earlier returned and suddenly, the black mist came surging around the door and engulfed me. I screamed as I felt fear consume me. I struggled, trying to fight, but it was in vain. I felt the mist devouring me. Devouring my body. Devouring my soul.

I gave another painful scream, sitting upright in a soft wool bed. My heart was racing, and I was covered in cold sweat. I panted deeply as I looked around the room. Suddenly, a loud crowing broke the silence, making me jolt from my bed. The door to my room burst open, and again, I nearly had a heart attack.

"LINK! LINK!" called a scratchy old voice from the doorway. The figure was holding a lantern that dimly illuminated my room. The person came closer and I felt his weight on the bed. "Link, are you alright?" I nodded. "Was it the dream again?" I nodded again. I felt the person's arm reach around me and pull me close. "It's alright my boy, it's all right."

For about several minutes, my sensei and I just sat there. Finally, he got up and started walking towards the door. "Get some sleep m'boy. You have a big day in the morning." I gave a nod and laid my head on the feather pillow. I heard the man chuckle as the door began to creak. "Happy Birthday Link."

I quickly shot up in my bed, sweat beads going down my head. I sighed and put my face in my hands, breathing. Listening to silence for several minutes. I had had that dream again. For the second time today. It always ended the same. With me being engulfed by darkness. My sword master, Orca, had once told me that dreams, when seen more than once, are actually predictions of the future. Something like premonitions.

I sighed and swung my wool covers off me as I threw my legs out of the cot. I stood up and stumbled towards a mirror. I was a mess. My hair was more of a mess than usual, and I had dark rings under my eyes. I turned from the mirror and started walking towards my door.

It took me an hour to get ready. Warm water is kinda hard to find when in the middle of fall. I wore an emerald green tunic over a pair of white wool pants and a white wool shirt. I wore leather brown gloves and boots, and a belt around my waist. On top of my head, I wore an emerald green cap. Under the tunic was a set of chain mail.

I walked out into a small kitchen area. There was no one in here. "Hello?" I called out into the house. No answer. "HELLO!" Still no answer. I yawned and started walking towards the front door. "Dammit Orca." I stopped when I saw a long brown package on the table. I cocked my head slightly and stood there. "Hm." I turned and walked over to the table. I picked the package up and looked at it. It was heavy. I shook the box and heard a thumping noise in it.

I stopped shaking the package and set it back on the table. That's when I noticed a piece of paper on one of the smaller faces. I grabbed it and opened it. It read:

**It's dangerous to go alone. Take this.**

**Happy Birthday Link.**

**-Orca**

I puckered my lips and thought for a moment. "What the hell?" I said to myself as I reached for the package again and tore it open. I felt a smile cross my face as I saw what was inside the package. Inside the package was a wooden sword, honed so that the edge of it was sharp. It was made from a wood I didn't recognize, so it probably wasn't from anywhere near here. A white clothe was wrapped around the blade's hilt.

I grabbed it and smiled. "'Bout time," I said, swinging the wooden sword through the air. I looked around the room again and sighed. "Now where the hell are you, you old coot." I found a scabbard and fitted it onto my back. I slid the sword into it and turned towards the door.

I opened the door and was quickly blinded by a ray of sunlight. Fine way to start my morning, right? I rubbed my eyes and staggered forward. My eyes adjusted and I examined the landscape around me. Lush green hills spread wide over the area. Flowers grew in abundance under the few trees, and a blue creek flowed through it all. Welcome to Outset Field. It was actually the part of a large, almost forgotten, plateau.

I turned to the hut I came out of and frowned. Unlike the rest of the beautiful area, this hut was a shabby excuse for a home. It stuck out like a sore thumb that was all blistered and warty. Though it was still a home. The only one I really had. You see, I was an orphan. Orca told me my parents gave me to him, so as to train me to become a remarkable swordsman. They died shortly after.

I turned back to the scene before me and found the small, dirt-covered trail leading towards the village. I walked along it and saw a group of people working in a crop field. "Morning," I called to them. They looked up and waved to me, bright expressions on their faces. I kept walking.

Even before I got to the village I heard the clatter and chatter that went on. This was my home. Outset. It was a nice, calm village that was located near the edge of the plateau. We were on the far south-east portion of an even larger land. Hyrule. I'd never been off the plateau before, but I heard the land of Hyrule was a very large place, with many creatures and people in it. I've even been told of a large town in the center of Hyrule, called Castle Town. Maybe I'll be able to go there one day.

My train of thought was interrupted when a small bird suddenly crashed into me. There was a barrage of feathers, and loud clucking noises. "Oh Link, I'm sorry," said a red haired girl around my age. She wore these leather gloves, carefully picking up the stray Cucco. "You know how much of a problem I have with these things."

I chuckled. "If you don't like them," I began, "then why do ya take care of them, eh Anju?" Anju was a tall, thin girl with shoulder-length scarlet hair. She wore a Brown vest with a white shirt under it, and a long blue skirt with white fire-like patterns near the bottom. As I mentioned before, she wore leather gloves.

She smiled and helped me up. "I never said I hated them. I'm just," she was interrupted by a sneeze and lost grip of the Cucco, "allergic." She sighed and looked in the direction of the Cucco. "Oh forget it." Suddenly she perked up and straightened. "I almost forgot! It's your birthday today, isn't it Link?" I nodded. She embraced me and placed a kiss on my cheek, making me blush. "Happy birthday!"

I chuckled and shrugged her off. "Thanks."

Just then, a woman started calling for her. "Anju! Have you caught that Cucco yet?" It was her mother. I couldn't see her, so I really wasn't able to describe her at the moment.

I saw her turn and sigh. She turned back to me and said, "Well, I'll see you later Link." She turned around and ran off after the Cucco. Anju and I had been friends since we were kids, well, younger kids, she's kinda had of a crush on me. I always laughed when I thought of that. Though I guess I. . .kinda. . .liked her too.

I kept walking, greeting most of all the village on my way to what we called "The Edge". As the name meant, it was the very edge of the plateau and dropped into the crushing waves below. Lovely spot. The one problem was that it kind of had an insect problem. A _big_ insect problem.

As I exited the village, I found a path that led to the face of the cliff. I rounded it and heard a low clicking noise from above me. I quickened my pace. More clicking. I began to run, and soon found myself cornered off. There was nowhere else to run. I heard the clicking again and looked up, seeing half a dozen insect-like creatures staring at me with large purple eyes. One on each creature. They each had four twig-like legs sticking out of small red circular bodies. Tektites.

They each gave out a loud clicking call, and lunged off the side of the rock face down onto me. I ran and rolled out of the way as they smashed into the ground. I pulled out my new weapon, my wooden sword, and held it up in an offensive way. One quickly hurled its body at me. I swung in retaliation. I felt the impact and my arms shook, whilst the dog-sized bug was knocked onto its back.

The others advanced as it attempted to roll over. I swung downward as another attempted to smash itself into me, connecting the blade with, what appeared to be, its face. Again, I felt my arms shake. The second Tektite smashed into the ground, and as hard as I could, I kicked it at the others. They leapt out of the way, while the one I had kicked tumbled off of the cliff. The first had gotten up and was joining its brothers in the attack.

They each bent their skinny legs, holding close to the ground. I stood silently, my sword pointed towards my foes, both my hands held on tight. A small wind blew dust between the creatures and I. My hair brushed against my cheek, and I noticed a small leaf from the trees on top of the cliff slowly fall to the edge we all were on. Three. . .two. . .one. . .the leaf touched the ground, and the remaining five Tektites lunged at me. I brought my sword behind me, flexed slightly, took a deep breath, and swung a large arcing circle around me, knocking several of the Tektites aside, two of them smacking into the others and falling off the ledge. I leaped forward, raised my sword, and swung down hard as I came to the ground, slicing one of the remaining bugs. I kicked another off the cliff and stabbed another in the eye, blinding and, at the same time, killing it.

I stood silent and sighed with relief, falling to the ground and taking deep breaths. I looked at the wooden sword in my hand and smiled. "I really have to thank Orca for this," I said, sliding the weapon into its scabbard and standing up, only for my legs to give and me landing on the ground again. I froze and looked around. Three. Three Tektites who fell off into the ocean, and two I had killed by sword. "One of those buggers are missing!" No pun intended.

I turned in several directions, slowly getting up, but saw nothing. I heard a low clicking behind me, and the next few seconds felt like they were in slow motion. I turned. It lunged. I went for my sword, but fell flat on my ass. It was nearly a foot from me when suddenly, a spear whizzed through the air and pierced through it, sticking it into the ground. I swore loudly and pushed myself back, heart racing.

I heard gruff laughter behind me. I turned around quickly to see a tall, wrinkle skinned man standing several feet behind me. He had a large bald spot, but had long white hair on the sides going down his back with an equally long beard. His wrinkled skin was tanned , and garbed with a green leather vest and dark purple pants. I wasn't really staring at his clothes though, but at his eyes. They were blank, and vacant. He was blind.

He chuckled and walked past me, pulling the spear out the ground, feet on the Tektite, and pulled it out. He turned to me with a stern face. Now don't ask me how he knew where I was, what with him being blind. Even I was still curious, and he never answered, just smiled and said some philosophical crap.

He walked over to me , still with a sour face. "You were sloppy Link," he said. I turned away and drew a circle in the dirt. His face softened and he held out his arm. "And Happy Birthday."


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2- Legends**

"Strike Link!" shouted Orca. Almost right into my ear, I might add. I swung my wooden sword in a diagonal arc, cutting deep into the wooden log. I was panting, my left eye closed from the strain, and sweat dripping down my forehead. My entire left arm was sore, and I could barely feel it. Orca circled me then shouted, "AGAIN!" I sighed and swung again, cleaving into the log on the other side.

I had been questioning if he was really blind, but who can really say. That man confused me. "AGAIN!" he shouted. I swung again. That was the repetitive task at hand. For an hour or so, I was cleaving into the log with my new sword.

"Why am I training, on my-" Orca kneed me in the stomach. I doubled over and fell onto my knees. I coughed and slowly stood back up.

"A warrior must always train Link, do not forget this," he said, circling me like a lion. "Now, strike the log again." I stood up and swung the sword. The log, mutilated from the now dulled, wooden sword, split in half. Orca picked up the pieces and examined it.

Without warning, he hurled the pieces at me. I leaped back and swung my sword, knocking away the two pieces. "WHAT ARE YOU TRYING TO DO OLD MAN! KILL ME!" I shouted, throwing one of the pieces back. He caught it and laughed. "What's so funny?"

"You've gotten faster, more vigilant," he said, dropping the piece and walking pass me. He picked up his spear and started walking. "I think that's enough training for today." I gawked at that. Usually, he had me training till I was a bloody pulp. It felt weird not being all bruised and broken. I followed after him, sheathing my sword, and kicking aside the other piece of wood.

We walked in silence for a long while. Every now and then, he would stop, turn towards me, then to the ocean. I felt like he was going to tell me something, but the thought, instead, seemed to strayed from him. Then, he stopped and turned to the sea, again.

"Link," he began. "Do you know how our land came to be?" I turned to him. "Long ago, three Goddesses, Din, Nayru, and Farore came from the heavens to create a world of peace." There was a long pause as the blind old man stared at the sunset. "Din, the Goddess of Power, forged the land, creating large mountains, and deep depressions. Nayru, the Goddess of Wisdom, created the knowledge of the world, bearing it the seas, the air, and the sky. And then, Farore, the Goddess of Courage, gave birth to all beings who would uphold those laws." He turned to me and smiled. "And for a while, there was peace.

"After many years, the Goddesses left, but in their place where they departed, where the two worlds met, they left all the embodiment of their power in one source." He turned back to the ocean and up at the sky. "The Triforce." There was another long pause as he listened to the crashing waves below. "The Triforce itself can grant any who lay their hands upon it a single wish. So the legends say.

"After many years, a wore broke out between the inhabitants of the world, so that the sacred realm that the Triforce resided would become theirs. Angered and saddened by this, the three Goddesses sealed the entrance to the realm, using a special key." He sighed and started laughing. "There was a problem with this, however, as this key was left almost completely unguarded." He started walking again, and I quickly followed. "So, to take further measures, a special gate was created to, not only seal the Sacred Realm, but to seal away the keys themselves. The only known way to open this door was to be in possession of 'The God's Tears', bestowed upon one person by the three spirits of the world." He turned to me and smiled.

"When was the door last opened?" I asked, out of curiosity. I had heard the story before, but this knowledge about a door and keys was all new. I knew this was all legend, but it was still interesting.

"It was last opened when the Goddesses shut it." He started laughing and I realized I walked into another of his jokes. The door he mentioned probably didn't exist. Pretty much anything that happened thousands of years ago, most likely, didn't exist.

In the distance, I started to see the smoke of the chimneys in town. Orca stopped all of a sudden and had a serious look on his face. "Since that day," he began in a darker tone. "A cloud has loomed over the people of this world. Nobody had a name for this cloud, other than it gave them great fear, and caused destruction in those it infected." He turned to me. "This cloud was soon called 'Evil'." There was a pause for a moment. "It is also said, that many beings have fallen under its reign, including a being created from the very fears and anguishes of people." I swallowed and heard a loud snap behind me.

Almost instantly, Orca tossed me out of the way and held up his spear. "You will not find what you are looking for here, stranger!" he shouted to no one in particular. "This village is a quiet and calm one, we have not the item you seek." I couldn't see who he was shouting at, so my guess was that he finally went senile.

There was another snap as a cloaked figure slipped out of the shadows. He didn't fully appear, but something about him gave a chill down my spine. "You are wrong old one," he said in a deep, resonating voice. "Though a stone is not here, there is something that is." Orca seemed to tense, and I thought I saw his blind eyes dart to me, but from what I could actually see, they were completely fixed on the man. The man laughed and said, "That's right. Hold on to what you have dear while it lasts, blind man, for soon, all will be lost." The man slipped back through the shade, and vanish.

I turned up at Orca and saw he was shaking slightly. "M-Master?" I asked in a calm, but shaken voice. I had never seen Orca like this before. It scared me to know that the man who seemed to fear nothing, was shaking.

He turned to me and smiled. "Nothing. Sorry. Come on, let's get back to the village." I nodded my head and got up. We started to walk back down the path, but I couldn't help but keep thinking of that man.

* * *

We arrived at the village sometime after the sun had began to set. I looked around, but couldn't see anyone. There were no lamps or candles lit, so you could hardly see anything to begin with. I followed behind Orca, who kept a tense look on his face. I had the feeling the man from earlier had something to do with this.

We wandered around for god knows how long. "Orca, where is everyone?" I said, expecting him to answer. I didn't get one. "Orca?" I turned to him to see that he was gone. From right under my nose, I had lost him. I heard a noise. Kinda like shuffling feet. I kept my left hand held tight on my sword. I saw a quick shadow move across a building, and I slowly drew my weapon.

I backed up, and bumped into something. I turned to see a large, rectangular object before me. "What the-" I began, before a dozen or so lanterns erupted into flames. I turned around and saw, all around me, people wearing oni masks.

"Happy Birthday!" they all shout, throwing torn parchment into the air around me. I screamed in shock and fell onto the table. The crowed erupted in laughter and began taking off their masks.

I half-grimaced as I saw the villagers all around. Each one came up and said "Happy Birthday". Every single one. I didn't think it was _that _big of a deal turning one year older, but apparently, they all were glad about it. Apparently, the reason Orca had been training me earlier was so that I'd be distracted from the villagers, who had been setting up the party. Go figure, eh?

After they all talked with me, I started to look for Orca. I couldn't find him. In one direction, I heard a quiet commotion nearby. I waded through the crowed and saw Orca talking amongst several of the villagers. Anju was one of them. She had tears in her eyes, and when she saw me, she quickly turned away. They separated, and I ran over to the old man.

"What is it?" I asked, trying to not show any worry.

He smiled and said, "Nothing important." He laughed and walked towards the crowed. "Now come on Link, it's your birthday, enjoy it." I sighed and followed after. Orca seemed odd tonight. He was worried, I could tell.

A loud explosion rang out through the crowd. There were shouts and laughter as a small bomb leaped into the air and exploded. I watched the dazzling colors and chattered with the crowed. I noticed that the people Orca had talked to weren't here anymore. Weird. Another explosion lit up the sky. They really went out of their way to throw a birthday bash.

The party itself only lasted an hour or so. Most of the villagers were already drunk, or leaving to hit the sack. I yawned loudly and felt my eyes drooping. Orca stumbled over to me, his cheeks flushed from the alcohol, and a silk band tied around his head. I laughed and got up to leave.

As I left the gate of the village and onto the dark, moon-lit path, I heard a low grumble from behind me. I turned to see Tortus, Anju's father, asleep and drunk near the gate. I laughed and kept walking down the path.

I finally saw the small hut Orca and I lived in, and quickly ran to it. I slid open the door and heard a loud screech from behind me. I turned, but couldn't see anything. I looked up, and silhouetted by the moonlight, was what looked like a very large bird. It was doing large circles around the area. I couldn't make out what it looked like, but from my current train of thought, it didn't seem like it was dangerous, so I went into the house for some much needed sleep. Today was a real hassle.

* * *

I shot up in my bed, completely drenched in sweat. I groaned and bent forward, placing my face into my hands. I had that dream again. It still felt real, like it was actually happening. I tried to forget about it, closing my eyes and taking several deep breaths. Then my eyes shot open. Something felt wrong.

I threw my clothes on and grabbed my sword, bolted out of the house, and ran out into the lawn, darting my vision in every direction. From my first interpretation, nothing felt wrong. I couldn't see anything wrong. Then I did noticed something that looked wrong. I saw smoke coming from the village, and a flickering red glow. I gasped as I saw the faint flames lick at the far off buildings.

I ran forward and heard a loud cry in the air. I looked up to see a large bird soaring through the air. The same bird from earlier. I squinted and saw a large boulder in its talons. It catapulted over the hut and dropped the boulder, smashing it under two tons of earth. I fell back and landed on my back. Thank god I had woken up when I did.

I didn't have time to sit there like an idiot. I got up and turned back to the village, sprinting with all that I could. I could hear vague screams rippling from burning buildings. I charged though the front gate and saw the chaos all around. Bodies were strung everywhere, blood plastered the houses, and flames ate at everything they touched. I heard the screams, and saw a door suddenly break down. Someone, I couldn't tell who, had fallen through the door, completely covered in flames and blood..

I rushed forward, but stopped to see several large figures step out of the house. I quickly darted under a cart and watched them. They wore dark cloths with metal armor decorating their shoulders and legs. They were nearly twice my size, and had the heads of boars. One held a long spear, and the others held bows.

I saw more of them crash through the houses. "Where is Lord Ganondorf?" one of them, a large, scarred one, said in a scratchy and deep voice.

"I saw him follow some old man," another said, tossing a large sack over one of its shoulders and gesturing towards a path leading out of the village. "But does it really matter? We've done our job." The others grunted in agreement and started to huddle out of the village.

As the last one left, I quickly ran out from under the cart and ran off towards where that thing had gestured. The Edge. I ran down the path and could hear the sound of metal scraping against metal. I ran faster and froze. Orca was locked in battle with a large man in black armor. The man had darkly tanned skin and scarlet red hair. He had a jewel on his forehead, and dark eyes. His armor was completely black. He held a huge sword with odd writings on it.

Orca was fighting one on one with this man, and I felt helpless. Cause I was scared. He was in my nightmares. I saw him every time before I woke up. And I knew how this was going to end. I saw Orca turn his attention to me for a split second, and in that second, he smiled. My eyes widened as the blows kept clashing, until a burst of energy rippled the ground, and Orca lost balance. The man, that evil man, took the chance and thrust the blade through Orca.

I screamed and rushed forward. Each step was precise. My sword was held high. Only a few other problems. This man was, from my first and last guess, too powerful. I was about to fight him with a wooden sword, and he had just killed the man I had once thought to be indestructible. The only thing that made all this seem unimportant was that he had taken the life of the only thing close enough to a family I had left. I wanted revenge.

He turned and in one swipe of his hand, smashed me into the face of the cliff. I heard him laugh and saw his blurred image bent down to me. I saw his mouth move, but couldn't make out the words. I was dizzy, but still trying to get up. My arms suddenly gave just as my vision faded. I felt my head hit the ground and lost myself in my own chaos.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3-Lon Lon Ranch**

"No. Stop. Stop. Get away. ORCA!" I shot upwards and felt cold sweat trickling down my face. I was panting. I felt warm. My eyes jutted around and, almost instantly, I could tell I wasn't in Outset. I took a calmer look around my new setting. I couldn't see much though, since I was still laying flat on my back.

I was in a small room, about the same size as my room in Outset. There was a small table with stools in one corner, and a dresser across from the bed I was in. I looked at the bed. It was small, only able to fit one person. It had a dark blue sheet over it, made of some kind of animal fur.

As I got up I coughed and fell back. It really hurt to move. However, through the strain, I moved the sheets away and saw my entire body was bandaged. I had a hard time breathing, so I continued to lay down. I turned over carefully to see a window one the left side of the bed. I tried to sit up again, this time succeeding, and pushed it open. I was met with a gust of warm air and a serene scent. I saw blue skies, green fields, and acres of land. Surrounding the building were several others, and scattered all around the area were different kinds of animals. I could even see horses in a penned off area, cows grazing in the field, and goats resting near a large pool of water. I could also see dozens of Cuccos loitering around.

I sighed and stared at the calm scene. It reminded me so much of Outset. Except it wasn't as cold. I gasped as I started to remember the events of that day. Tears nipped at my eyes, and I had to wipe them away. Everyone was dead. Orca, the man I had once known to be invincible, my only family, was gone. Forever. And Anju. What happened to her? I laid back down and stared at the ceiling, tears still rippling at the edges of my eyes.

For an hour I lay there, contemplating all that had happened, trying to take it all in. I heard steps coming from behind the door. "I just have to check his bandages dad," said what sounded like a girl from behind the door. I tensed up, though doing so caused me a slight bit of pain.

The door opened and skinny girl came walking into the room, carrying bandages and warm water with her. I could tell it was warm because of the steam coming from the bucket, She yelped when she saw I was up, dripping what she was carrying. She swore quietly and tried to clean everything up. From what I saw, she had scarlet red hair, and dark blue eyes. She wore a long white dress with odd blue markings along the bottom and the sleeves. An orange scarf was wrapped around her neck, with a small dragon pendant holding it together.

She looked up and giggled, then walked over to me. "I see you're awake," she said in a very calm, but somehow energetic tone. She put what was left of the warm water down and sat down on the bed. "Let's have a look at those injuries." She took the bandages and started to unwrap them. I felt my face grow a little warm. She was cute, to say the least.

She took the bloody bandages off and put them on the ground. She grabbed a wash cloth and dabbed it against several bruises and slash marks that were along my body. "Looks like you're healing pretty well," she said, dapping the cloth in the water and applying it to my skin. "You were pretty beat up when we brought you here."

"Where _is_ here?" I asked, turning my head again to the surrounding room.

She laughed. "Lon Lon Ranch. You've been asleep for a while. A few weeks, actually." I shot upwards, but fell back down as I felt the pain constrict my body. "Careful," she said, standing upwards and placing one arm on my chest and another on my own arm. It had a warm feeling to it. "Like I said, you were in pretty bad shape. Dad actually thought you were dead when we found you."

I stared past her out the window. I was lost in thought for a moment. Being the only one to survive the slaughter of your village tends to do that. I thought of all that I saw. The bodies strewn across the ground, the fires licking at the roof tops. And Orca-

The images flashed in my mind and I sent out a shrill of pain. With my left arm, I grasped the left of my face, the palm over the eye and my fingers clenching into my forehead and the thumb in my temple. I was shuddering. The girl had let go and was standing several feet away. Hands clasped on her mouth. I could hear screaming in my head. The images I had just been thinking of were playing in my vision like they were actually happening right in front of me. But it also seemed like I was having double-vision. I could see what had happened that night, and I could see the room I was in.

A large man came bursting through the door. He seemed to have shouted something. I couldn't hear him. Only the screams of innocent people. Of the people I loved. Of the closest thing to my family. I blacked out again. I must've been thrashing around a lot, cause I felt my body roll off the edge of the bed only seconds before my consciousness completely sipped away.

* * *

My eyes shot open, and I found myself in a large white room. I knew this room far to well now. The nightmare I had been having. But why? Why so often? But just like I always have, I got up, strolled to a large mirror, and suddenly became enveloped by an unknown force.

* * *

Again, my eyes shot open. I was back in the small room. The girl was asleep, her head rested on her arms over the bed. I looked outside and saw that it was night. I tried sitting up. I grunted in pain, but was still able to pull my mangled self out of the bed. My feet touched the cold wooden floor. It felt weird though, like my feet weren't there at all. I poked a leg. It was still asleep. Slowly though, I brought myself up. I stumbled back and hit my head against the wall, which was also wood. I nearly swore out in pain, but covered my mouth. Another wrong move could wake the girl up.

I attempted a second try. Failed. A third try. Failed. Whoever said, "Third time's the charm", should be skewered on a stick. I attempted yet again, with better results. I stabled myself against a wall and started to walk along it to the door. I opened it slowly and nearly had to crawl out cause of me suddenly loosing balance. I caught myself on the doorframe and lifted myself back up. I exited the room and found myself in a small hallway and, joy-to-the-world, stairs. I sighed and started to go down them.

As I reached the bottom, I froze as I heard a loud, bellowing noise. I turned to see a large figure on top of pile of hay. I couldn't make out who it was, on account of it being so dark. All I knew, was that it was asleep, and snoring. I shifted out of the room and to another door. I opened it and smelt fresh air. It was warm. Almost soothing. Another stench lingered in the air. Cow manure. Strangely though, it didn't bother me that much.

I took several steps, and could feel my legs loosening up again. I was still in pain though. I looked around and, across from the small house, I could see what looked like a stable. A single light was on. I walked, or more specifically, limped, over to it and peeked inside.

"Blast that damned Talon, always lazing about while I do all the hard work around here," said a tall man holding a pitchfork and shifting around hay. "All he does is sit on that fat ass of his until he has to take the cart to Castle Town, and even then he's half-asleep." The person was, if anything, really pissed. "He wouldn't even be able to keep this place running if I, the great Ingo, weren't always slaving away past the hours."

Ingo, as he had unknowingly introduced himself, was a tall and gruff man who, by my guess, was in his late twenties or early thirties. He had very short, almost balding brown hair and a bushy brown mustache. He had a very round nose, and was very pink in the face. Speaking of pink, he wore a pink long sleeved button-up under a vest, and also had green pants and brown boots. Very strange clothing, to say the least. He looked very fruity, in my opinion.

"If I had a right mind to, I'd march up to that fat bastard and kick him out of her," he said, continuing his rant. He stood up straight and planted the pitchfork he was holding into the ground. "Oh yes. When that glorious day comes when I take this ranch, nobody will ever be able to boss me around. Not even that gorgeous daughter of his." I started laughing. "Hell, I may just spare her. Her father gets what will be coming, that lazy glutton, but she deserves more." He continued with his job. "Maybe I'll make her my bride."

_'Pedophile,'_ I thought to myself, slowly moving away, still hearing his laughter and ranting behind the door. He was overly noisy. I turned and limped, as it was, to the large, fenced off area. It held all the horses. Most were sleeping, while still others were either galloping around or eating from buckets along the fences. I ducked under the fence and walked into the middle of the area, laying down, and staring up at the sky.

It was just like Outset, but the stars seemed further. I reached up and clasped my hand, like I was trying to grab one. I chuckled to myself and felt soft tears sting at the sides of my eyes. I heard a whiney behind me and turned around. Standing several feet behind me, was a horse that was smaller then the others. It was young, I could tell from that, but it also seemed different. It had scarlet red hair and a luscious white mane and tail. It was dazzling, to say the least. I tried to get up to see it, but when it noticed me it quickly backed away and ran off in the opposite direction.

I sighed and laid back down, feeling the cool grass around me. This moment of loneliness gave me a few minutes to finally think. _'I'm alone. I have nobody. What next? I could stay here, but I don't even know these people, and they don't know me. I could just be imposing. Then again, I had already stayed here for the past several weeks, unconscious. Maybe they already knew a bit about me and were use to having somebody else around.'_ These thoughts both calmed and frustrated me. I rolled on to my back and felt my side tense in pain. I swore, and slowly sat up.

That's when I heard it. Heard what? A song. It was hummed, but it was easily heard. I turned around, and saw a figure, slowly walking though the sky. The sun, as I started to notice, was slowly rising. The figure was walking towards another shape. A horse. The exact same horse that avoided me from earlier. Instead of disrupting what was going on, I decide to watch.

The red horse slowly wandered up to the person. After my eyes adjusted, I realized it was the girl from earlier. She turned towards me and waved. I waved back and got up. I jogged over to her. She greeted me with a smile.

"Good to see you're finally up and about," she said, turning back to the horse. She placed a hand on it and said, "You gave us a little scare when you started to convulse." She didn't seem that worried. Hell, she looked like she hadn't a care in the world. She quickly turned to me. "Let me introduce you to my good friend, Epona." She gestured the horse. "She's only a few years old, but she's one of the strongest horses on this ranch, for a baby."

I looked at the horse. "She seemed a little skittish to me."

"Well that's because she doesn't know you," she responded with a quick perkiness in her voice. She began to hum the song again. She stopped, then turned to me. "Why don't you try it?"

"Try what?" I responded.

She smiled. "The song. Try singing the song." The song? The one she was humming?

"I can't sing."

"Then hum it, or whistle it," she responded again, taking a step closer. Whistling I could do. I tried it, but it sounded wrong. She laughed. "No no, like this." She hummed it again. I tried whistling the tune again. I heard the horse, Epona, whiney in the direction she had run off too. I tried it again, this time, better. The horse slowly and cautiously treaded over.

The girl clasped her hands together. "Great job," she said. Her face then changed from excitement to dismay. "I completely forgot to ask you your name." She seemed kind of ditzy. Or something like that.

"Uh." I had trouble remembering it myself. "It's Link. What's your name?"

She quickly grabbed my hand and shook it. "Please to meet your acquaintance Link. My name is Malon." She had a large grin on her face, and by this time, Epona had made her way to the two of us. The sun was already casting large morning shadows across the ranch. I could see lights in the house go off as another individual stirred, and I could see the faint shadow of Ingo in the distance, waking the cattle and horses. Malon and I stood there for a long time. She kept shaking my hand, and having that big goofy smile on her face. To be honest, it had a very warm feeling to it. Almost motherly.

I hoped I'd always remember that image. There was a sudden interruption of the moment, as about a dozen large horses came thundering at us. She and I quickly split before the stampede of horses, and what I then realized to be cows in the mix, crushed us. Epona had gotten out too. I could see Ingo laughing like a mad man by the gate. Malon looked red in the face. She quickly stormed over to him. I was too far to hear what she yelled, but it probably wasn't "Good morning".


End file.
